The present disclosure relates to a generator arrangement for a wind energy installation.
A large proportion of known wind energy installations are equipped with high-speed generators, with a single-step or multiple-step gearbox being used to step up the relatively slow speed of rotation of the wind turbine to the generator speed of revolution. Solutions are known in which a gearbox and generator are arranged one behind the other as separate assemblies on a machine support. This allows the components to be replaced easily in the event of damage, but the overall arrangement is relatively large and heavy, leading to problems relating to transport to the nacelle of the wind energy installation and the arrangement therein.
Furthermore, arrangements are known in which a gearbox arrangement is arranged at least partially within the generator, thus leading to space saving. Exemplary solutions are disclosed in DE 102 42 703 B3 or DE 10 2004 005 543 A1. However, these solutions have the disadvantage of the complexity of the mutual bearing of the individual gearbox and generator elements. In this case, two bearings are normally provided for each gearbox degree of freedom, that is to say the number of possible independent movements. For example, in the cited DE 102 42 707 B3 the sun gear and the ring gear are each mounted in a duplicated form on the planet support, as a result of which the gearbox arrangement has a total of four bearings.